Two Years Before Happiness
by NERC
Summary: "For two years me, mom and the rest of the camp have been trying to make her smile. And within two minutes my dad had brought the light back into her eyes." Includes OC children of Percabeth, Joy and Ky.


**AN: written for round three of the capture the flag competition. Prompts Hades Castel, Percabeth and Happiness **

* * *

**Annabeth**  
Two years.  
Too long horrible year.  
Two years since Percy got killed.  
Two years since I last 10.  
I children decided to train harder, train more.  
I try to tell them that exhausting themselves were not help them fight.  
Joy, our daughter had been the worst.  
She had been with her father when it happened.  
The way she explained it, it was horrible.  
It wasn't her fault.  
Percy wouldn't blame her.  
You just say something along the lines of ' A lot of monsters just want me dead we all knew I'd eventually meet once I couldn't beat.'  
But she would never believe that.  
"I was there!" She had yelled. " He was 5 feet away!"  
And I understood.  
All the older demigods the did.  
Anyone who had fought in the second titan and or a giant war understood the feeling of responsibility and guilt when a sibling or friend was fighting beside you got fatal blow.  
Ky, didn't understand.  
He tried to make his older sister happy.  
Tried every technique he knew.  
It wasn't enough.  
So instead he trained with her.  
Asked her to teach him so she had to take brakes.  
But he was committed to.  
They ate.  
They slept.  
Any trained.  
They started ignoring their friends.  
And me?  
I had been barely holding it together.  
Nine-thousand-four hundred and ninety-seven days.  
Twenty-six years since I had had to fight with out Percy.  
Grover was a mess.  
Nico stared to spend more time underworld.  
Thalia nearly broke down.  
Chiron didn't smile for well over a month.  
The camp, as a whole was depressed.  
Even Jupiters atmosphere changed.  
That the sea was calm.  
It had confused everyone.  
The side and had always seem to care a great deal about Percy.  
Poseidon came to camp.  
He explained that normally there would have been huge storms and a lot of people get hurt.  
But Percy wouldn't have wanted that.  
So he had decided to make sure the part of the ocean affected by his grief and anger held no human life.  
Hades personally came to camp and told us that Percy had made it to Eslyium , as if there had ever been any doubt.  
He also told us to stop moping around because Percy was driving him insane with all his whining about our moping.  
That was 630 days ago.  
Two years.  
This morning Nico showed up and told Joy, Ky and I that his dad wanted to talk to us and that he would be back at noon.  
I checked my watch, 11:58  
"You ready?" I ask my children  
They both nod.  
And sure enough at exactly 12 o'clock Nico showed up and knocked on the Poseidon cabin door.  
We all walked outside.  
"All set?" He asked  
"Yep!" I say trying to sound upbeat.  
He grabbed my and Joy's hands.  
"Ky, grab my arm." He said.  
Ky did as instructed and Nico fell back into the shadows.  
Taking us with him.

When we got to Hades castle I froze.  
No way.  
Nico looked at us  
"This is a one time thing." He said "A chance to say goodbye."  
And he vanished standing in front of us was a smiling, seemly alive Percy.

"Dad?" Asks Ky.  
"Hey bud." Percy said  
Ky ran into his arms.  
I was surprised when he didn't run straight through him.  
Noticing my confused look Percy mouthed _'Hades'_ over Ky's head.  
Ky started sobbing hysterically.  
Percy tightened his grip on him.  
"Hey buddy. It's okay. Don't cry. I'm okay. Shhhh. Don't cry. You're okay."  
"You're not okay! Your dead!" He screamed.  
Percy sighed.  
"It's okay. It will all be okay."  
Percy continues rubbing his back for a minute when he pulls back Ky's eyes are red but other than that he looks fine.  
"Annabeth." He breaths. He wraps his arms around me and spins me around.  
I squeal like a teenager.  
"Put me down this instant Percy!"  
I hear Ky laugh slightly and realize that Percy had been trying to cheer us up.  
He brings me down and I kissed him gently on the lips. I pulled back and motion to joy. We can talk later my eyes say. He nods.  
"Hey Joy-ster."  
He says spinning around.  
Joy hadn't moved since Niko brought us here.  
Percy went over and wrapped his arms around her.  
"Joy?" He asks.  
"I-I'm sorry."  
She finally says letting her tears fall.  
"Sorry? Joy you have nothing to be sorry for sweetheart."  
She sobs harder.  
"It's all my fault!"  
"No baby, none of it was your fault. You were 13, you are amazing. Some of those moves you used? I didn't even hear about until I was 15 or 16."  
"But it wasn't enough!"  
Percy led her over to a bench and put her on his lap.  
"Joy you survived. That had been my goal. That, at the end, you would be okay."  
"Why?!"  
"Because my fatal flaw is loyalty."  
She looked up at him amazed.  
"Really?"  
"Really really."

* * *

**Percy**  
Had she really been blaming herself for two years?  
"B-but," she started.  
"No buts." I said. "I would do anything for you. I don't blame you okay?"  
She nodded  
"Now," I said. "I believe this is long over due."  
And then I started tickling her.

* * *

**Ky**  
As dad and Joy were rolling around on the floor I noticed something.  
In Joy's eyes was something I hadn't seen in a long time.  
Happiness.  
Pure, profound happiness.  
Two years.  
For two years me, mom and the rest of the camp have been trying to make her smile.  
And within two minutes my dad had brought the light back into her eyes. A clock chimed one.  
And dad frowned.  
"I have to go." He said sadly  
"What?" Said Joy.  
He hugged her again.  
"Promise me something?" He asked her.  
She looked up at him.  
"Stay happy. I'm just on vacation."  
She sighed, but nodded.  
"I'll try."  
"Good."  
He let her go and went to hug mom. "Love you wise girl." He murmured.  
"Love you to Seaweed Brain."

* * *

**Joy**  
My dad kissed my mom once more-which normally I'd find disgusting but right now found sweet- and went over to Ky.  
I could tell my brother was still slightly embarrassed about breaking down earlier.  
Dad ruffled his hair then pulled him into a hug.  
"Smile kiddo."  
Then he faded into nothingness.  
And although she was gone and I could see him for a long time I was happy.  
I got had forgiven me. Well he never blamed me.  
But still, I felt as though wait and lifted off my shoulders.  
The one emotion I never thought I would feel again spread across my face in the front of the smile.  
Happiness.

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**AN: thanks for reading Reviews are amazing. ;)**


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